On location: Sarajevo's only arthouse cinema is centrally located on the bank of the Miljacka river, next to the tram line rumbling towards Baščaršija, the city's charming Ottoman old town.

Crowd scene: In the six months since it opened, the cinema and cafe have quickly become popular stop-offs among Sarajevo's intelligentsia for movies, art exhibits, dance parties and coffee. The theatre's location just across the river from Sarajevo University's Academy of Fine Arts makes it a favourite among students and professors alike. It's common to see young civil-society activists plotting outreach campaigns after taking in a show. The cinema's proximity to the European Union delegation building, where hundreds of Eurocrats work to prepare Bosnia and Herzegovina for EU accession, attracts liberal professionals from across the continent. In a country still afflicted by homophobia, Kriterion is one of the few places open to everyone.

Back story: Almost all of Sarajevo's cultural icons and establishments were destroyed in the 40-month siege of the city during the 1992-1995 war between Bosnian Serbs, Croats and Bosniak Muslims.

Sixteen years after the war's end, there is a dearth of funding for the arts, and artists struggle to implement cultural programmes. Even the National Art Museum was recently closed due to lack of funding. The Kriterion, though, which has benefited from a dedicated team since 2006, is the embodiment of the resilience not only of the artistic community, but of Sarajevo itself.

Kriterion is affiliated with its sister cinema in Amsterdam, which was previously reviewed by Jon Barrenechea. Barrenechea described how the original theatre arose from a group of Dutch students active in the Nazi resistance movement. In Sarajevo, the founders of Kriterion are firmly rejecting a more contemporary social problem, nationalism, which was the by-product of the collapse of Yugoslavia. Although Sarajevo was once home to Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs under leader-for-life Josip Broz Tito, it is no longer as ethnically mixed. But you'd never know it from the Kriterion, where people from all backgrounds work towards the cinema's success.

Dutch students (part of the original Kriterion foundation) came to Sarajevo in 2006 looking for partners to help establish the theatre. Between then and July 2011, when the cinema opened, they held regular screenings in other theatres while searching for a place of their own. Employees say they have a strong connection to the group in Amsterdam – they are required to travel there regularly to meet with members of the foundation and for training.

Noteworthy: Kriterion is open to individuals or organisations with innovative ideas who need the space to implement them. Next month, workshops on slam poetry, sign language and creative non-fiction writing will begin.

Show business: Two screenings a day – at 18:00 and 20:20 – show a wide variety of local and international movies, often in connection with a themed programme.

Parental guidance: Kriterion had a short-lived children's programme on Sunday afternoons – it should be revived soon.

Senior service: Discounted tickets.

Tickets: Tickets for the 18:00 matinee are €2, or €1.50 for students and seniors. Tickets for the 20:20 show are €2.50, or €2 with the discount. It can't get much cheaper to see movies you can't see anywhere else in town.

Medium popcorn and soft drink: In lieu of popcorn there is a selection of chips and nuts to be consumed with soft or alcoholic drinks.

Camera fodder: Minimal snacks from €1-1.50, but many patrons eschew food for cigarettes.

Alcohol: An assortment of local and regional beers in bottles and on tap for €1.50-€2.50, including Croatian Pan, Slovenian Tuborg, Serbian Lav and of course the eponymous Sarajevsko. There is also a good selection of wine and spirits.

Auditorium: The single auditorium has enough cushy armchairs and loveseats to accommodate 75 people. Or you can watch the big screen from one of 11 beanbags, some of which are big enough for two. For overflow, chairs from the cafe can be brought in and viewers can even relax on the carpeted floor.

Projection: The cinema shows movies on a standard projector. Currently the 35mm projector is broken but hopefully it will be repaired soon.

Disabled access: All parts of the premises are wheelchair-accessible and there's a loo for people with disabilities.

Events: In the past six months, the cinema has hosted screenings, art exhibits and afterparties during the week-long Sarajevo Film festival. It also hosted screenings and roundtables as part of the Mess festival, an international festival of theatre.

The picture house has organised a number of themed screenings – last week was "Sex, Pop and Politics", a collection of films shown in partnership with the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Sarajevo Open Centre. The first week in November saw "In the Spirit of Jazz", which combined movie selections with jazz dance and music workshops. As well as these, performances by local and regional musicians often draw a crowd. Every Wednesday is the low-key Jazz-Blues-Soul live music night, and at the weekends there is almost always a DJ.

Toilets: As in their sister establishment, all employees help out with the cleaning. Even late into the evening during a packed concert the facilities are impeccable.

Staff: Comprised almost entirely of students and recent alumni, the staff are not only multilingual and polite, they crack jokes as they serve up your drinks, making you feel instantly welcome.

Pros: There's no other establishment in the city that lets you sink into a loveseat with your companion and watch an independent film.

Cons: Sometimes films are shown only once, so if you can't make it to the showing, you're out of luck. Also, smoking is common everywhere in the city, and Kriterion is no exception. The impact is negligible, though, except at big evening events when no one follows the rules regarding non-smoking areas.

Top tip: The cinema's staff do almost all the advertising and promotion via Facebook, so check there for events and programmes.